Colombian journalist escapes being doused in gasoline

New York, June 6, 2011--The Committee
to Protect Journalists called on Colombian authorities today to thoroughly
investigate the attempted murder of the director of a provincial television
station in Colombia. Mario Esteban López Ortega, known for his criticism of
local authorities, escaped an assassination attempt on Tuesday after he was abducted
in the city of Ipiales, Nariño province.

López,
the director of the local television station Channel 22, was arriving home at
night when he was approached by two men who forced their way into his vehicle,
according to local press reports. The assailants
put a cable around the journalist's neck and forced him to drive to the
outskirts of Ipiales, RCN radio reported.

The
kidnappers ordered López to stop in an open field, according to news reports.
After beating and insulting him, the attackers doused López and his car with
gasoline. While the journalist fought back, a police car driving by alarmed the
captors, who immediately fled the scene, according to news reports.

López,
who filed a complaint with the police, said he believes the attack is related
to his criticism of local authorities and his coverage of drug trafficking in
Ipiales. The journalist said he received anonymous telephone death threats two
months ago.

"The attempted murder of Mario Esteban
López is an alarming reminder of the many dangers that journalists still face in
Colombia while reporting on sensitive issues," said Carlos Lauría, CPJ senior
program coordinator for the Americas. "We urge authorities to launch a thorough
investigation, find the men who attacked him, and bring all those responsible to
justice."

López
also said that Ipiales Mayor Gustavo Estupiñán Calvache had also recently
threatened him in person after he aired a report on irregularities in the
donation of several motorcycles to the local police, the press said. The mayor
allegedly told López to "be careful" after a conversation about the story. In a
statement published on
Saturday on the town's website, Estupiñán categorically rejected Lopez's
accusations. The official said he is looking forward to the investigation of
the incident to establish whether it was related to the journalist's work.

While
Colombia is historically one of the most murderous places in the world for
journalists, CPJ's recently launched Impunity Index found that the country has
improved its record for the fourth consecutive year as deadly anti-press
violence has slowed and authorities have had some success in prosecuting
journalist murders. Colombia ranks fifth in the index, which identifies
countries worldwide where journalists are murdered regularly and governments
are unable or unwilling to solve the crimes.